Door constructions



June 21, 1966. M. SCHNUR DOOR CONSTRUCTIONS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 13, 1965 INVENTOR. MATHEW SCH/VUR June 21, 1966 M. SCHNUR 3, 6,6 0

DOOR CONS TRUCTIONS Filed Dec. 13, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 MA THEW SCH/VUR B 4.12, Ei-L L United States Patent 3,256,640 DOOR CONSTRUCTIONS Mathew Sclmur, Chicago, 111., assignor to Inviso Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of lliinois Filed Dec. 13, 1963., Ser. No. 330,333 Claims. (Cl. 49317) Heretofore, swinging door panels have been commonly hinged for such swinging movement between one edge portion of the door panel, around which the swinging occurs, and a supporting surface disposed in parallel or uniplanar relation to that edge portion. It is an important object of the present invention to enable such a door panel to be hinged in a novel and expeditious manner between such one edge portion of the door panel and a supporting surface disposed perpendicularly thereto.

Another object is to enable two door panels to be supported from a supporting structure by the same set of hinges in a novel and expeditious manner.

Another object is to enable two door panels to be hingedly supported in a novel and expeditious manner from a supporting surface disposed perpendicularly to one edge portion of each of the door panels, whereby one of the door panels is hinged between said one edge portion thereof and said supporting surface, and the other door panel is hinged between the one edge portion thereof and said one edge portion of the aforementioned one door panel.

In cupboards, cabinets, and the like, heretofore known in the art, if it has been desired to hinge two door panels from the center of a doorway, a center post commonly has been alforded in the doorway and the door panels have been hinged to respective sides of the post. It is another important object of the present invention to enable two door panels to be hingedly supported from the center of a doorway in a novel and expeditious manner, without using a center post.

Yet another object is to enable two door panelsto be supported by hinges from the center of a doorway having no center post in a novel and expeditious manner whereby the hinges are concealed from outside the doorway when the doors are closed.

A further object is to enable two door panels to be hingedly supported from the center of a doorway having no center post in a novel and expeditious manner whereby one door panel is hingedly supported from the other door panel, and each door panel is independently movable relative to the other door panel between open and closed position relative to the doorway.

An object ancillary to the foregoing is to' enable each of the last-mentioned door panels to swing through an arc of 180 degrees in moving between the fully open and fully closed positions thereof.

A further object is to afford novel hinge structures for supporting doors, and the like.

Another object of the present invention is to afford a novel door construction which is practical and efficient in operation, and which may be readily and economically produced commercially.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which, by way of illustration, show a preferred embodiment of the present invention and the principles thereof and what I now consider to' be the best mode in which I have contemplated applying these principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a cabinet embodying the principles of the present invention, with one door A panel disposed in open position;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the cabinet shown in FIG. 1, with both of the door panels disposed in closed position;

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of a hinge embodied in the cabinet shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational View of the hinge shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the hinge shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of another hinge embodied in the cabinet shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the hinge shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a detail sectional. view taken substantially along the line 88 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a detail sectional view similar to FIG. 8, but showing certain parts disposed in different operative position;

FIG. 10 is a detail sectional view taken substantially along the line 1010 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 11 is a detail sectional view similar to FIG. 10, but showing certain parts disposed in different operative position,

A cabinet 1, which includes a doorway embodying the principles of the present invention, is shown in the drawings to illustrate the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The cabinet 1 embodies, in general, a horizontally extending bottom wall 2, a rear wall 3, two side walls 4 and 5, a top wall 6, and two door panels 7 and 8 hingedly supported from the front edge portion of the top wall 6 and the bottom wall 2 for opening and closing the cabinet 1. The rear wall 3 and the side walls 4 and 5 project vertically upwardly from the bottom wall 2, with the side walls 4 and 5 disposed in parallel relation to each other and in perpendicular relation to the rear wall 3. The top wall 6 rests on the upper edges of the rear wall 3 and the side walls 4 and 5 in parallel relation to the bottom wall 2. The walls 2, 4, 5, and 6 define a doorway 9 in the front of the cabinet 1, which is parallel to the rear wall 3, and through which access may be attained to the interior of the cabinet 1 when either one or both of the door panels 7 and 8 are disposed in open position.

The door panel 8 is hingedly supported by two hinges 10 and 11 from the top wall 6 and the bottom wall 2, respectively, for horizontal swinging movement between fully open position wherein it is disposed in parallel juxtaposition to the door panel 7, as shown in FIG; 1, and a'fully closed position wherein it is disposed in uniplanar relation to the door panel 7, as shown in FIG. 2. The door panel 7 is hingedly supported by two hinges 12 and 13 from the door panel 8 for horizontal swinging movement between a fully closed position wherein it is disposed in uniplanar relation to the door panel 8, as shown in FIG. 1, and a fully open position wherein it is disposed in parallel juxtaposition to the door panel 8, as shown in broken lines in FIG. 2.

The hinges 12 and 13, which I prefer to use for hingedly 3 manner in which they are mounted need be described in detail herein, such matters being fully described in my aforementioned co-pending application Serial No. 328,529, and the details of construction of the hinges 12 and 13 forming no part of the present invention except insofar as they form a part of the novel combination.

In general, as is illustrated in FIG. 6 relative to the hinge 12, each of the hinges 12 and 13 includes an upper hinge segment 14, and a lower hinge segment 15, interconnected by an intermediate hinge segment 16, the upper and lower hinge segments 14 and 15 being rotatable in respective horizontal planes relative to each other between a fully closed position, wherein they are disposed in stacked, vertically aligned position relative to each other, FIGS. 3 and 11, and a fully open position wherein they are disposed in horizontally spaced relation to each other, FIG. 10. Two hinge plates 17 and 18 are mounted on and carried by the upper hinge segment 14 and the lower hinge segment 15, respectively, for attaching the hinge 12 to the edges 7a and 8a of the door panels 7 and 8, respectively. When the hinge 12 is disposed in fully closed position, the hinge plates 17 and 18 are disposed in parallel juxtaposition to each other, as shown in FIG. 11, and when the hinge 12 is disposed in fully open position, the hinge plates 17 and 18 are disposed in uniplanar relation to each other, as shown in FIG. 10, the door panels 7 and 8, to which the hinge plates 17 and 18 are attached, swinging through an arc of 180 degrees during movement of the hinge 12 between fully closed and fully open position. The hinge 13 is identical in construction to the hinge 12, and is operable in the same manner.

In mounting the hinges 12 and 13 on the door panels 7 and 8, the carpenter may quickly and easily chisel or otherwise cut openings, such as the openings or pockets 19 and 20 for each of the hinges 12 and 13, in the edges 7a and 8a 'of the door panels 7 and 8, respectively, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. The pockets 19 and 20 need be no larger in size than that required to snugly, but freely receive the end portions of the hinge segments 14-16 projecting outwardly from the hinge plates 17 and 18, respectively, of the respective hinges 12 and 13. As a practical matter, the openings 19 and 20 are normally I cut in substantially rectangular form as shown in FIGS.

10 and 11. If desired, the end edges of the doors 7 and 8 may also be cut away as indicated at 21 and 22 in FIGS. 9 and 10 to afford a countersink for receiving the hinge plates 7 and 8.

The hinges 10 and 11 each embody an upper hinge segment 23, a lower hinge segment 24, and an intermediate hinge segment 25, which are identical in construction to, and are constituted and arranged relative to each other in the same manner as, the hinge segments 1416 of the hinges 12 and 13. The only differences between the hinges 10 and 11 and the hinges 12 and 1-3 are in the manner in which the hinge plates thereof are constituted and arranged. Thus, it will be seen that as shown in FIGS. 3-5, and 7 the hinge 10 includes a substantially L-shaped hinge plate 26, having two legs 27 and 28. The hinge plate 26 is mounted on the lower hinge segment 24 with the leg 28 disposed in parallel juxtaposition to the outer face 29 thereof, and with the leg 27 projecting downwardly in position. to be attached to the same ed e 8a of the door panel 8 as is the hinge plate 18 of the hinges 12 and 13. However, the other hinge plate 30 of the hinge 10 is a substantially flat plate which is attached to the outer face 31 of the upper hinge segment 23 in substantially parallel juxtaposition thereto, and projects rearwardly from the upper hinge segment 23 in a horizontal plane, in position to be secured to the forward edge portion of the lower face 32 of the top wall 6, by suitable means such as screws 33.

The hinge 11 is identical in construction to the hinge 10, except that the plate 26 thereof is disposed in such means such as screws 34, FIG. 1.

position on the hinge segment 24 that the leg 28 thereof projects from the leg 26 in the opposite direction, from that shown in FIG. 3. The hinge 11 is disposed in upside down position relative to the hinge 10, the hinge plate 30 thereof being disposed in parallel juxtaposition to the forward edge portion of the upper face 33 of the bottom wall 2, and being secured thereto by suitable The leg 27 of the hinge plate 26 of the hinge 11, which projects upwardly from the hinge segment 24 of the hinge 11, is secured to the edge 8a of the door panel 8 in the same manner as is the leg 27 of the hinge plate 26 of the hinge 10.

In mounting the hinges 10 and 11 in operative position, openings, such as the openings or recesses 35 and 36, FIGS. 8 and 9, may be cut in the edges 7a and 8a of the doors 7 and 8, respectively, for each of the hinges 12 and 13. Like the pockets 19 and 20, the openings 35 and 36 are large enough to freely receive the end portions of the hinge segments 2325, projecting outwardly in opposite directions from the legs 27 of the hinge plates 26 of the respective hinges 10 and 11. However, unlike the openings 19 and 20, the openings 35 and 36 open outwardly through the rear faces 7b and 8b of the door panels 7 and 8, respectively. When the doors 7 and 8 are disposed in closed position, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 9, the hinge plates 30 on the hinges 10 and 11 project into the respective pairs of openings 35 and 36. During opening and closing movement of the doors 7 and 8, the hinge plates 30 on the hinges 10 and 11 move into and out of the respective pairs of openings 35 and 36.

With this construction, the door panel 8 is hingedly supported by the hinges 10 and 11 from the longitudinal central portions of the front edge portions of the lower face 32 of the top wall 6 and the upper face 33 of the bottom wall 2, respectively, and the door 7 is hingedly supported by the hinges 12 and 13 from the edge 8a of the door 8, and, therefore, from the top wall 6 and bottom wall 2 of the cabinet 1.

The hinges 10-13 are so constituted and arranged that when the doors 7 and 8 are in fully closed position, as shown in FIGS. 2, 9, and 11, the hinges 1013 are concealed from view from the front of the cabinet 1, the recesses 19 and 35, and 20 and 36 terminating in spaced relation to the front faces and 8c, respectively, of the door panels 7 and 8, and the edges 7a and 8a being disposed in closely adjacent, parallel relation to each other.

Also, with this construction the door panel 8 may be swung on the hinges 10 and 11, independently of the door panel 7, between fully open position shown in FIG. 1 and the fully closed position shown in FIG. 2; the door panel 7 may be swung on the hinges 12 and 13, independently of the door panel 8, between the fully open position, shown in broken lines in FIG. 2, and the fully closed position, shown in solid lines in FIGS. 1 and 2; and the door panels 7 and 8 may be swung as a unit on the hinges 10 and 11 between the position shown in FIG. 1 and the position of the door panel 7 shown in broken lines and of the door panel 8 shown in solid lines, respectively, in FIG; 2.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that although my novel door construction is shown herein as embodied in the cabinet 1, this is merely by way of illustration and not by way of limitation, and that door panels may be mounted in other doorways such as, for example, in cupboards, walls of buildings, and the like, without departing from the purview of the present invention.

Also, although I prefer to use hinges embodying body portions constructed in the manner of the hinge segments 14-16 of the hinges 12 and 13, and the hinge segments 2325 of the hinges 10 and 11, hinges having other suitable body portions such as, for example, body portions of the type disclosed in my United States Letters Patent No. 3,027,592, issued April 3, 1962, may be used for this purpose without departing from the purview of the present invention.

In addition, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that my invention is not limited to a doorway construction embodying hinges having the construction of hinges 12 and 13 for mounting the door panel 7 on the door panel 8, and that other suitable types of hinges such as, for example, hinges of the type disclosed in my Patent No. 2,694,216, issued November 16, 1954, may be used for this purpose without departing from the purview of my invention.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the present invention affords a novel doorway construction wherein two doors may be hingedly supported from the central portion of the doorway without the use of a center post.

Also, the present invention affords a novel door construction wherein door panels may be hingedly supported in a novel and expeditious manner, from surfaces disposed at opposite ends of the axis of rotation of the door panels.

In addition, the present invention affords a novel hinge for hingedly connecting a door panel to a door frame, and the like.

Also, it will be seen that the present invention affords a novel and practical doorway construction which may be readily and economically produced commercially.

Thus, while I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that this is capable of variation and modification, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A door construction comprising (a) a door frame,

(b) one door panel,

(c) hinge means mounted on said door frame and on one edge portion of said door panel for pivotally mounting said door panel for movement between (1) a closed position wherein it is disposed in covering relation to a portion of said door frame, and

(2) an open position wherein it projects away from said portion of said door frame,

(d) another door panel, and

(e) hinge means mounted on said other door panel and said one edge portion of said one door panel for pivotally mounting said other door panel for movement between (1) a closed position wherein it is disposed in covering relation to another portion of said door frame, and

(2) an open position wherein it projects away from said other portion of said door frame,

(f) said first-mentioned and second-mentioned hinge means each including (1) a pair of hinge members (a') disposed in substantially parallel plane relative to each other and a (b) rotatable in their respective planes relative to each other, and

(2) a pair of hinge plates, and

(g) each of said hinge plates being mounted on and movable with a respective one of said hinge members,

(h) a first one of said hinge plates of said first-mentioned hinge means having a portion attached to said door frame,

(i) a second one of said hinge plates of said firstmentioned hinge means having a portion attached to said one edge portion of said one door panel, (j) a third one of said hinge plates of said secondmentioned hinge means having a portion attached to said one edge portion of said one door panel, and

(k) a fourth one of said hinge plates of said secondmentioned hinge means having a portion attached to an edge portion of said other door panel,

(I) said second, third and fourth hinge plate portions being disposed transversely to the plane of said first hinge plate portion in all positions of said doors.

2. A door construction as defined in claim 1, and in which (a) said third and fourth hinge plate portions are disposed (l) in parallel relation to each other when both of said door panels are disposed in closed position, and

(2) in uniplanar relation to each other when either of said door panels is disposed in fully open position.

3. A door construction comprising (a) two members defining respective opposite sides of a doorway,

(b) two door panels,

(0) said door panels each having (1) a closed position wherein it is disposed in closing relation to a respective portion of said doorway, and

(2) an open position wherein it projects away from said respective portion of said doorway, and

(d) means for pivotally mounting said door panels for movement between said open and closed positions thereof,

(e) said means comprising (1) one pair of hinges operatively connected between said two members and one edge portion of one of said panels, and

(2) another pair of hinges operatively connected between said one edge portion of said one panel and an edge portion of the other of said panels,

(f) each of' said hinges of said one pair including (1) one hinge plate having a portion projecting from the remainder thereof and operatively connected to a respective one of said mebers, and

(2) a second hinge plate having a portion operatively connected to said one edge portion of said one panel in juxtaposition thereto,

(g) said portions ofsaid second hinge plates being disposed transversely to the plane of said portion of said one hinge plate of the respective same hinges,

(h) each of said door panels including a face which faces substantially directly away from said members when said panel is disposed in said closed position,

(i) said edge portions of said panels having recesses therein which terminate in spaced relation to said faces of said respective panels, and

(j) said portion of each of said hinge plates extending into one of said recesses in each of said edge portions when said door panels are disposed in said closed position.

4. A door construction as defined in claim 3, and in which (a) said door panels each have one face which faces generally toward said members when said door panel is disposed in said closed position,

(b) each of said faces have two recesses formed therein, and

(c) said portion of each of said one hinge plates of each of said hinges extends into respective ones of said recesses in each of said faces when said panels are disposed in said closed position.

5. A door construction comprising (a) a door frame,

(b) one door panel,

(c) hinge means mounted on said door frame and on one edge portion of said door panel for pivotally mounting said door panel for movement between (l) a closed position wherein it is disposed in covering relation to a portion of said door frame, and

(2) an open position wherein it projects away from said portion of said door frame,

(d) another door panel, and

(e) hinge means mounted on said other door panel and said one edge portion of said one door panel for pivotally mounting said other door panel for movement between (1) a closed position wherein it is disposed in covering relation to another portion of said door frame, and

(2) an open position wherein it projects away from said other portion of said door frame,

(f) said first-mentioned hinge means including 1) one hinge plate having a portion attached to said door frame, and

(2) a second hinge plate having a portion attached to said edge portion of said one door panel,

(g) said portion of said second hinge plate being disposed substantially perpendicular to the plane of said portion of said one hinge plate in all positions of said one door panel,

(h) said second-mentioned hinge means including (1) a third hinge plate having a portion attached to said edge portion of said one door panel, and

(2) a fourth hinge plate having a portion attached to an edge portion of said other door panel, and

(i) said portions of said third and fourth hinge plates being disposed (1) in parallel juxtaposition to each other when said door panels are disposed in closed position, and

(2) in uniplanar relation to each other when either of said door panels is disposed in fully open position,

(j) said second, third and fourth hinge plate portions being disposed substantially perpendicular to the plane of said portion of said one hinge plate in all positions of said door panels.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 457,824 8/1891 Curtis l6178 2,023,224 12/1935 Hall 16-478 2,853,747 9/1958 Anderson 20l6 FOREIGN PATENTS 18,820 10/1893 Great Britain.

' HARRISON R. YMOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

K. DOW-NEY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DOOR CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING (A) A DOOR FRAME, (B) ONE DOOR PANEL, (C) HINGE MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID DOOR FRAME AND ON ONE EDGE PORTION OF SAID DOOR PANEL FOR PIVOTALLY MOUNTING SAID DOOR PANEL FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN (1) A CLOSED POSITION WHEREIN IT IS DISPOSED IN COVERING RELATION TO A PORTION OF SAID DOOR FRAME, AND (2) AN OPEN POSITION WHEREIN IT PROJECTS AWAY FROM AND PORTION OF SAID DOOR FRAME, (D) ANOTHER DOOR PANEL, AND (E) HINGE MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID OTHER DOOR PANEL AND SAID ONE EDGE PORTION OF SAID ONE DOOR PANEL FOR PIVOTALLY MOUNTING SAID OTHER DOOR PANEL FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN (1) A CLOSED POSITION WHEREIN IT IS DISPOSED IN COVERING RELATION TO ANOTHER PORTION OF SAID DOOR FRAME, AND (2) AN OPEN POSITION WHEREIN IT PROJECTS AWAY FROM SAID OTHER PORTION OF SAID DOOR FRAME, (F) SAID FIRST-MENTIONED AND SECOND-MENTIONED HINGE MEANS EACH INCLUDING (1) A PAIR OF HINGE MEMBERS (A) DISPOSED IN SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL PLANES RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER AND (B) ROTATABLE IN THEIR RESPECTIVE PLANES RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER, AND (2) A PAIR OF HINGE PLATES, AND (G) EACH OF SAID HINGE PLATES BEING MOUNTED ON AND MOVABLE WITH A RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID HINGE MEMBERS, (H) A FIRST ONE OF SAID HINGE PLATES OF SAID FIRST-MENTIONED HINGE MEANS HAVING A PORTION ATTACHED TO SAID DOOR FRAME, (I) A SECOND ONE OF SAID HINGE PLATES OF SAID FIRST MENTIONED HINGE MEANS HAVING A PORTION ATTACHED TO SAID ONE EDGE PORTION OF SAID ONE DOOR PANEL, (J) A THIRD ONE OF SAID HINGE PLATES OF SAID SECONDMENTIONED HINGE MEANS HAVING A PORTION ATTACHED TO SAID ONE EDGE PORTION OF SAID ONE DOOR PANEL, AND (K) A FOURTH ONE OF SAID HINGE PLATES OF SAID SECONDMENTIONED HINGE MEANS HAVING A PORTION ATTACHED TO AN EDGE PORTION OF SAID OTHER DOOR PANEL, (1) SAID SECOND, THIRD AND FOURTH HINGE PLATE PORTIONS BEING DISPOSED TRANSVERSELY TO THE PLANE OF SAID FIRST HINGE PLATE PORTION IN ALL POSITIONS OF SAID DOORS. 